Bacterial vaginosis, 'D' deficiency linked

Saturday

A University of Pittsburgh study links bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women to a deficiency of vitamin D.

A University of Pittsburgh study links bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women to a deficiency of vitamin D.

"Bacterial vaginosis affects nearly one in three reproductive-aged women, so there is great need to understand how it can be prevented," said Lisa M. Bodnar, an assistant professor of epidemiology, obstetrics and gynecology. The infection "is not only associated with a number of gynecologic conditions, but also may contribute to premature delivery -- the leading cause of neonatal mortality."

Published this week in the Journal of Nutrition, the study also notes that black women are three times as likely as white women to have bacterial vaginosis, in part because darker skin does not as readily convert sunlight into vitamin D.

Poor diet and obesity also contribute to a vitamin D deficiency.

The study used blood tests from 469 pregnant women to determine whether poor vitamin-D status played a role in predisposing women, and especially African-Americans, to the infection.

Bodnar and her colleagues at the Magee-Womens Research Institute in Oakland, Pa., found that 41 percent of study participants had bacterial vaginosis, and 93 percent of those with the infection had insufficient levels of vitamin D. They also found that the prevalence decreased as vitamin D levels rose.

Optimal levels of vitamin D haven't been established yet.

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